This grazing season has proven to be challenging yet again as the dry weather and routine grazing of our forages has exposed many problem areas in our pastures.
Those problems can be relatively pronounced in areas of pastures with relatively thin grass stands remaining or even in high-traffic areas where livestock gather. There are a few tactics we can implement into the grazing management system to improve pastures.
First, we must understand the capacity of the forage for the livestock that are grazing it. Thoughtful management considerations of stocking rate will allow managers to help control weeds by making sure the desired forages have a healthy competitive advantage going forward.
The second tactic is to make sure your utilization levels are where they should be. Implementing rotational grazing is one way to make sure the forages are being utilized at an optimal rate. For those who already implement a management-intensive grazing plan, it may be as simple as recalculating when livestock are moved to certain paddocks based on the current levels of available forages.
Weed control
The last tactic that I want to introduce is that of targeted herbicide applications. I have many farmers asking me, “Is it too late to spray for weeds?” In most cases, it depends on the management of your pasture and tools available.
The incorporation of integrated pest management includes utilizing cultural mowing with a rotary or sickle bar mower periodically throughout the forage growing season. This helps to reduce weeds going to seed and prevent future growth.
The second option here is pointed herbicide application for the annual, biennial or perennial weeds that affect pastures. The correct identification of pasture weeds and a sensible evaluation of options should be the first thought in developing a plan of action against weeds in pasture fields.
If chemical control is required, it is crucial to understand the difference in products, as to whether that is selective or non-selective classification of the herbicide. Generally, in pasture situations, it is considered a rescue rather than a restore effort due to sheer cost of starting completely over.
Annual weeds such as wild mustard and biennials such as poison hemlock or bull thistle will need to be mowed or sprayed before flowering and setting seeds in early summer. After setting seeds, the chemical options are not effective.
Perennials such as Carolina horsenettle or pokeweed can be controlled in late summer and early fall by incorporating cultural mowing and by-the-book-timed herbicide applications. If pastures exhibit a great magnitude of perennial weeds, it could be a guide for managers to look at what is happening with the soil.
Plan in practice
Soil fertility can be improved using management strategies such as suitable grazing recovery period and introducing and maintaining a greater forage species diversity in pasture fields. In general, make sure pastures are not overgrazed or trafficked to the point that there are no living roots creating bare spots and the opportunity to lose soil nutrients or cause erosion concerns.
Finally, a good plan cannot yield positive results until it is put into practice. Make sure you take the time now to mark dates in your 2024 calendar to scout fields, identify weed pressures, and set opportunities aside for cultural mowing and herbicide applications if needed.
This will surely save you time, and your future self will be thankful.
